Chapter 5: Li Xiaoman

The alma mater remained largely unchanged from before, except for the people who had come and gone. Four years of youth had left an unforgettable memory.

Under the shade of greenery and beside the grass, some younger students were quietly reading, creating a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. Ye Fan and the others felt as if they had returned to the past, away from the restlessness and noise of the past three years.

After graduation, everyone had been busy with their lives and aspirations. Many had left the city, and except for Ye Fan and a few others, almost everyone had returned to the alma mater for the first time.

The small lake nearby had ripples on its surface, and the scenery was still the same. They could still vividly remember the image of the melancholy or brilliant figures playing guitar and singing campus folk songs by the lakeside.

Even after many years had passed, whenever the melody played, it would remind people of those carefree and innocent times. The faint sadness would evoke both emotions of sadness and sweetness, easily touching people's hearts.

The passage of time always leaves a slightly bitter taste.

However, they did not know whether those people from back then were still able to play the guitar and sing. It was difficult to find out where they had gone after graduation.

"I vaguely remember hearing from a friend that the melancholic guitar genius from back then has been playing in a bar in another city, and after several years, he has experienced many changes."

"Do you still remember the talented long-legged girl from the school band? She was a very beautiful and pure singer. It is said that she is now working as a hostess in a nightclub."

All they could do was sigh.

After graduation, many people experience a clash between their ideals and reality. Sometimes life can be frustrating, causing people to feel defeated and lost.

After a brief silence, everyone continued to move forward.

At this moment, Lin Jia came to Ye Fan's side.

She was wearing a blue and white snowflake-patterned chiffon dress that extended to her thighs, accentuating her slender and beautiful legs. She wore a black waistband that accentuated her delicate waist, and her long hair cascaded down her full chest, highlighting her graceful curves.

With her beautiful face, snow-white skin, and alluring phoenix-shaped eyes that slanted upwards, Lin Jia exuded a special kind of charm.

"You had a car, why didn't you tell me yesterday?"

"I didn't have a chance to say."

"Are you inviting me to ride in your car today?"

"I would be delighted to invite Miss Lin Jia."

After saying that, the two of them smiled.

Lin Jia brought up yesterday's incident abruptly, but she then smoothly changed the topic without dwelling on it. She didn't try to lower herself to improve their relationship, as she knew that being too deliberate would come off as insincere, which was worse than being natural.

This subtle change naturally also occurred in some of the other classmates.

When they left the alma mater, it was already noon, and everyone went to a food street and climbed up to the restaurant on the top floor.

Wang Ziwen privately invited Ye Fan to join their table, and Ye Fan just smiled and went over to offer a few toasts but still sat with the same group of people as yesterday.

"Ye Fan, I was drunk and said some nonsense yesterday. Don't take it to heart. I'll toast you a drink first..." The male classmate who claimed that his fiancee was a high-ranking executive at a certain bank and lectured Ye Fan yesterday, was now trying hard to explain himself in a humble manner.

Similarly, the female classmate who claimed that her husband had been promoted to deputy general manager of the company, had changed her attitude and was polite to Ye Fan.

"Come on, let's all raise our glasses together."

Compared to yesterday, the table where Ye Fan and his friends sat appeared lively today. The group constantly toasted and people from other tables came over to offer drinks. Ye Fan naturally couldn't refuse and clinked glasses with everyone, even drinking a glass with each person from Wang Ziwen's table.

Liu Yunzhi remained calm, despite feeling embarrassed yesterday. Today, he was as composed as still water and didn't reveal any unusual expressions, as if nothing had happened.

"Everyone, I received a phone call from overseas last night..."

It was Zhou Yi who spoke, a very refined young man whose well-connected background was no secret among his classmates. Yesterday, he was the person Wang Ziwen was waiting for outside of Hai Shang Ming Yue City.

Everyone stopped and looked at Zhou Yi. Whether it was during school or now, he always acted amicably and never made anyone feel arrogant.

Zhou Yi shared some news that three of their classmates who were studying overseas had already started their journey back to China, which immediately sparked a heated discussion among the classmates.

...

"After graduation, we'll each go our separate ways and have our own different life paths. It's not easy for us to come together like this. When we meet again, we may already be parents or have children of our own, and who knows how many years will have passed by then. Since three classmates studying abroad are returning to China, I have a proposal to extend this gathering a bit longer..."

※※※※※

Ye Fan drove back home and made a cup of light green tea, silently watching the sycamore tree outside his window, thinking of some past events.

The missed opportunities, the departing footsteps, the gradually receding road, were all like the sycamore leaves gently falling.

The name of Li Xiaoman had long faded from Ye Fan's memory.

When Li Xiaoman went to study abroad in a distant land after graduating from university, their communication was initially close in the first few months. However, as time passed, their emails and phone calls became less frequent, and eventually the contact was completely cut off.

Rather than being separated by the sea, it was more like being forgotten across the sea. A love affair that was not favored by their friends had reached its inevitable end.

Today, Ye Fan learned from Zhou Yi that Li Xiaoman was returning to China soon. At first, the name even felt somewhat unfamiliar to him, but looking back, it had already been over two years.

The gathering was extended, and they went to visit Mount Tai. All expenses were covered by Wang Ziwen, Zhou Yi, and the others, which may have been a considerable expense for ordinary people, but for them, it was nothing.

Three days later, Ye Fan saw that familiar figure again at the foot of Mount Tai. Three years had passed, but Li Xiaoman was still graceful and had not changed much.

She was around 170 centimeters tall, wearing a pair of sunglasses, her long black hair fluttering in the wind as she stood there elegantly. Her outfit was simple and casual, with shorts that went above her knees, showcasing her fair and slender legs. Her upper body was a T-shirt with a cartoon pattern.

Li Xiaoman was undoubtedly very beautiful, with fair and delicate skin, big eyes, and long eyelashes that made her look very spirited. She was not ostentatious but very confident.

She spoke calmly and comfortably with her classmates around her, clearly becoming the center of attention, but also giving people a sense of closeness.

There was a tall young man beside Li Xiaoman who was introduced as her American classmate. Compared to the soft and smooth facial features of the Easterners, he had a typical Western face with a strong sense of depth, a high nose, slightly sunken blue eyes, and curly golden hair, which was considered very handsome from a Western aesthetic point of view.

"Hi, I'm Kade, I've been looking forward to seeing Mount Tai and finally can see it now." Although Kade's speech was not very fluent, it was enough to express his clear meaning.

The other two classmates who had returned from studying abroad were also surrounded by enthusiastic questioning about their lives and studies in the distant land.

After three years, Ye Fan saw Li Xiaoman again, feeling as if the space had shifted and time had flowed.

Neither of them were surprised, politely greeting each other. There was no joy after a long separation, only a plain and even a somewhat indifferent feeling.

Without many words, they passed each other gently. Some things did not need to be said too much, silence was also a result.